1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rotation detecting apparatus that detects rotation operations by light transmission, and more particularly to a rotation detecting apparatus capable of preventing invalid detection.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing a conventional optical rotation detecting apparatus 50.
The rotation detecting apparatus 50 is provided with a rotating body 51, a base 52, a handle 53, a sensor 54 as detecting means, and a motor M and a deceleration gear train G as load means.
The rotating body 51 comprises a disk 51a and a shaft projection 51b, which is formed at the central portion of rotation of the disk 51a. The disk 51a has a gear G5 formed in the circumference thereof and the shaft projection 51b has a through hole 51c formed at the center thereof. On the disk 51a are formed plural light transmission paths (slits) 51d penetrating from one side thereof to another side. The light transmission paths 51d all have the same shape and are formed at an equal interval. A base 52 has a support plate 52a on which a support shaft 52b is formed projectingly toward the rotating body 51. A sensor 54 comprises a light emitting part 54a consisting of a light emitting element and a light receiving part 54b consisting of a light receiving element.
In the above-described rotation detecting apparatus 50, the shaft projection 51b is inserted in the support shaft 52b of the base 52 and the rotating body 51 is supported on the base 52 so that it can rotate freely. The shaft projection 51b is provided with a handle 53 which is rotated integrally with the rotating body 51. The rotating body 51 is provided with the sensor 54 with the light emitting part 54a at one side of the light transmission paths 51d and the light receiving part 54b at another side. One end of the deceleration gear train G is connected to the motor M and the other is connected to the gear G5 of the rotating body 51.
The above-described rotation detecting apparatus 50 can be used as, e.g., a fishing game controller, which is designed so that a fishline can be simulatively wound when the handle 53 is rotated unidirectionally (forward rotation). Also, rotation resistance is applied to the handle 53 when a coil of the motor M is short-circuited during rotation of the handle 53.
However, the above-described conventional rotation detecting apparatus 50 has the problem that, when the handle 53 is rotated in a direction opposite to the forward direction, the rotating body 51 is rotated and a rotation signal is detected by the sensor 54.
Accordingly, some of conventional rotation detecting apparatuses are provided with a backward rotation prevention clutch (unidirectional rotation clutch) for preventing the rotating body 51 from rotating when the handle 53 rotates backward. However, although the problem can be prevented that a rotation signal is erroneously detected by the sensor 54 when the handle is rotated backward, there is the problem that, when rotation input in the forward rotation direction by the handle 53 is broken, the rotating body 51 continues to rotate by inertial force produced by the weight of a rotor of the motor M, so that a rotation signal is erroneously detected by the sensor 54 although the handle 53 is stopped.
The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems and provides a rotation detecting apparatus capable of preventing a sensor from making invalid detection due to the inertial force of a rotating body when a handle is stopped.
Also, the present invention provides a rotation detecting apparatus that has a type of handle capable of backward rotation and, even when the handle is rotated backward, can ignore input in the backward rotation direction.
The present invention has: a first rotating body; a second rotating body serving as an input side of rotation force that rotates along with the first rotating body; light transmission paths formed on both the first rotating body and the second rotating body; and detecting means for detecting light passing through both the light transmission paths of the first rotating body and those of the second rotating body, wherein the first rotating body and the second rotating body can rotate relatively within a predetermined allowance angle range, wherein, when rotation force is inputted to the second rotating body, and the second rotating body and the first rotating body are rotating together in the rotation input direction, the light transmission paths of the first rotating body and those of the second rotating body overlap one another and light can be detected by the detecting means, and wherein, when input of the rotation force to the second rotating body is broken and the first rotating body continues to rotate by inertia force in the rotation input direction, the second rotating body rotates relative to the first rotating body in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the first rotating body within the allowance angle range, the light transmission paths of the first rotating body and those of the second rotating body deviate in position from each other, and the light to the detecting means is cut off.
By the above means, even if input to the second rotating body is broken and the first rotating body is rotated by inertia force, since the light transmission paths are immediately closed and light is cut off, invalid detection by the detecting means is prevented. That is, when the first rotating body is rotated by inertia force, the first rotating body and the second rotating body are relatively rotated in the directions that the light transmission paths of the first rotating body and those of the second rotating body do not overlap one another, whereby light issued from a light emitting part is not transmitted to a light receiving part, so that the invalid detection that a rotation signal is outputted despite the break of rotation input is prevented.
In the present invention, preferably, a load to exert the inertia force is connected to the first rotating body.
In the present invention, a motor to apply rotation force to the first rotating body is provided to apply rotation resistance to the first rotating body or rotation force in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of rotation force inputted to the second rotating body. When the motor does not exert the rotation resistance force or the rotation force of the opposite direction, the inertia force is applied to the first rotating body by the weight of a rotor of the motor.
For example, by short-circuiting a coil of the motor, a rotation load can be generated to cause the rotation resistance force to be produced in the motor. Or by energizing the motor in the backward rotation direction, rotation force of opposite direction is applied to the first rotating body. In this case, when the coil of the motor is not short-circuited and is not energized for backward rotation, the rotor of the motor exerts the inertia force.
By the above arrangement, when the rotation detecting apparatus is used as a fishing game controller, loads placed on the hands of an operator who simulatively winds a fishline can be changed so that the game can be expressed more realistically.
The present invention has: a first rotating body; a second rotating body serving as an input side of rotation force that rotates along with the first rotating body; light transmission paths formed on both the first rotating body and the second rotating body; and detecting means for detecting light passing through both the light transmission paths of the first rotating body and those of the second rotating body, wherein the first rotating body and the second rotating body can rotate relatively within a predetermined allowance angle range, wherein, when rotation force is inputted to the second rotating body, and the second rotating body and the first rotating body are rotating together in the rotation input direction, the light transmission paths of the first rotating body and those of the second rotating body overlap one another and light can be detected by the detecting means, and wherein, when rotation force in a direction opposite to the input direction is applied to the second rotating body and the second rotating body rotates relative to the first rotating body in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the first rotating body within the allowance angle range, the light transmission paths of the first rotating body and those of the second rotating body deviate in position from each other, and the light to the detecting means is cut off.
By the above means, even if a clutch for preventing backward rotation is not provided and the second rotating body may rotate backward, as soon as rotation force of the opposite direction is applied to the second rotating body, the first rotating body and the second rotating body are relatively rotated in the directions that the light transmission paths are closed, so that invalid detection by the detecting means is prevented.
In the present invention, preferably, a handle to apply rotation force to the second rotating body is provided, and when the first rotating body and the second rotating body rotate together and light passing through the light transmission paths is detected by the detecting means, control input to game software is made by a light detection signal from the detecting means that changes in accordance with the rotation speeds of the first rotating body and the second rotating body.
That is, in accordance with the rotation speeds of the first rotating body and the second rotating body, changes of the brightness of light passing through the light transmission paths are detected, and a rotation amount and a rotation speed during handle operations are controlled. By this arrangement, for example, when the rotation detecting apparatus is used as a fishing game controller, the amount of simulative fishline winding can be controlled in accordance with the size of a hit fish.
The present invention, without being limited to a rotation detecting apparatus for a game controller, may be applied to operation switches or the like.